Method of conserving header plugs



Mar h 22 1927.

c c. A. s. SWANSON METHOD OF CZNSERVING HEADER PLUGS Filed Sept. 23,1925 W v w 4. W L 7 E Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL A. S. SWANSON, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSINOR TO CARL S. SWANSON,

- TRUSTEE, F MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF CONSERVING HEADER PLUGS.

Application filed September 23, 1925. Serial No. 58,065.

This invention aims to provide improvements in oil stills, and moreparticularly to an improved method of conservmg header plugs. i

6 In the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of myinvention Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a portion of a still showingsome of the headers connecting the pipes;

Fig. 2 is a section through a portion of the still showing the generallayout of the oil conducting plpes;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of oneof the headers; i

Fig. 4 is a section of the header taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is an elevation of a preferred form of plug for use in closingthe cleanouts provided in each header.

After each run of an oil still it is ordinaril necessary to clean allthe tubes with a tu e cleaner. In practice the workmen cleaning thestills usually ruin the threads in the headers at the cleanout openings3 during introduction, use and removal of the tube cleaner. Therefore itis ordinaril necessary to retap the cleanouts after eac cleaning of thetubes of the oil still. In so doing, the holes are made larger andtherefore a larger plu is required. Heretofore the practice has een tocarry on hand a large number of plugs of various sizes and each time theopenings 3 were retapped new and larger plugs were inserted, requiringthe keeping in stock of a ver large number of plugs and the careful seection of the cor rect plug each time a change was made.

Referrin to the drawings, the stills as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 aremade up of a series of pipes or tubes 1 generally connected in pairs attheir ends by headers 2 which take the place of return bends. The tubes1 are ex anded in the headers as best illustrated in ig. 4.

Each header 2 is provided with a threaded opening or cleanout 3 which issufliciently large in diameter to permit the tube 1 to pass therethroughand into each opening is threaded a plug 4. Each plug 4 is provided witha relatively long tapered shank ortion 5 hollowed out throughout asubstantlal portion of its length and a tool-engaging'portion 6 toreceive a tool portion herein shown as a nut 6 for turnin ghthe pluginto the 5 threaded opening 3. shank 5 of the plug may be initiallythreaded throughout its entire length, as illustrated in Fig. 5, or itmay be initially threaded only at its smaller end, the thread being cutfurther up each time that the plug is to be used in an enlarged opening.

In the type of plug illustrated in the drawings only one is needed foreach cleanout 3 thereby doing away with the necessity for carrying onhand a large supply of assorted p ugs.

The first time the plug 4 is used in the opening 3 it occupies theposition shown at the left of Fig. 4 while at the right of the samefigure I have illustrated the position and form of a plug after theopening 3 has been retapped several times. After an opening has beenretapped the plug may be screwed into the opening and as a portion ofthe lug will project into the passage 7 in the eader after eachretapping operation it is desirable to remove the rojecting portion soas to prevent reducing t e size of the passage through which the oilpasses from one pipe to another. This operation is accomplished byreaching through the other opening 3 in the header 2 and scribing theplug 4 which is thereafter removed and the projectin portion sawed off.

The plug 4 is hollowed out as indicated in Fig. 4, to catch coke,carbon, or other solids, to save metal and to facilitate the sawing oifof the plugs after they have been scribed.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my inventionit will be understood that I have done so for purposes of clarificationrather than limitation, the invention being best defined in thefollowing claimsn Claims:

1. In the operation of tubular oil stills and the like having elongatedtapered header plugs which are required to be removed at more or lessfrequent intervals, for cleaning purposes, the method which consists-inretapping and thereby enlarging damaged threaded openings for the plugs,cutting off the small ends of such plugs as would pro" ject too far intothe headers and interfere with free circulation after retapp ling theopenings, reinserting the plugs in t e openings and repeating theoperations until the plugs are too short for further use.

2. In the operation of tubular oil stills and the like having elongated,tapered header plugs which are required to be removed, at more or lessfrequent intervals, for cleaning purposes, the method which 5 consistsin retapping and thereby enlarging damaged threaded openings for theplugs, inserting the plugs in the retapped openings to determine how fartheir ends project into the header, removing the plugs and cutting 01fthe tapered ends which other- H! wise would interfere with freecirculation in the headers, reinserting the cut-off plugs and repeatingthe operations as required until theipl'ugs are too short for furtheruse,

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

CARL s. SWANSON.

